OFFSEASON WORK: Rex Ryan, watching draft prospects at Texas A&M’s pro day in early March, said he has a good working relationship with John Idzik, the Jets’ new general manager.AP

OFFSEASON WORK: Rex Ryan, watching draft prospects at Texas A&M’s pro day in early March, said he has a good working relationship with John Idzik, the Jets’ new general manager. (AP)

PHOENIX — For someone who from all appearances will be Dead Coach Walking this fall, Jets coach Rex Ryan was in a remarkably feisty and upbeat mood Tuesday.

Breaking what for him was an unusually long offseason silence, the Jets’ embattled field boss did his best to make the combination of one year left on his contract, a new boss, no quarterback and a rapidly dwindling roster sound like an adventure instead of a coaching death sentence.

“Nobody said this job was going to be easy,” Ryan told reporters at the AFC coaches breakfast. “Is it challenging? Yeah, no question. But I’m a guy that doesn’t run away from challenges. I’m going to hit it head on. I’m confident.”

Ryan, who has laid low recently as the Darrelle Revis trade speculation swirled and the Jets’ defense was gutted in free agency, wasn’t offering any of his usual bombastic guarantees during the hour-long chat.

But Ryan didn’t exactly turn shy, either, loudly and repeatedly promising that what is expected to be a very young and talent-thin roster will represent itself well and even surprise people this fall.

“I think people should be worried about us a lot more than they are,” Ryan said. “We’ll see what kind of team our opponents get to play, and I’m excited about it.”

Ryan might be in the final year of his contract with no extension apparently forthcoming from owner Woody Johnson, but don’t try to convince Ryan that he’s a lame duck.

“You’re making an assumption that I’m just a short-term guy,” he said. “I don’t see it that way.”

Ryan wouldn’t even agree the Jets are in rebuilding mode, though seven starters from what was the NFL’s eighth-ranked defense last year — a bright spot in the Jets’ otherwise dismal 6-10 finish — have been cut or departed in free agency this spring.

“You’re going to have quite a bit of turnover, but rebuilding?” Ryan said skeptically. “The one thing about this game is, everybody is kind of on a level playing field when it comes to your salary cap and everything else. That’s what makes the league so great — each year, you feel your team has a shot.”

The Jets could soon lose an eighth member of that defense — not to mention one of the best players in franchise history — if the Revis trade speculation proves true.

Ryan was besieged by Revis questions yesterday to the point that he joked about the running total, but Ryan continues to stick by his long-running story the Jets are not shopping their disgruntled All-Pro cornerback while also giving himself an out should it happen.

“I know for a fact that we’re not actively trying to trade Darrelle Revis,” Ryan said. “At the same time, if somebody calls, you’re going to listen no matter who the player is — Darrelle Revis, Joe Montana, whoever.”

Ryan no doubt would be pained by seeing by far his best player depart, but said he is realistic about the situation and knows it — along with his own future — will be the call of new general manager John Idzik and not the head coach.

Ryan also sounded like a coach trying hard to get on the good side of his new boss. Ryan said he recently went with Idzik a day early to Clemson’s pro day, so the two could get to know each other better.

“It’s been fantastic,” Ryan said of his relationship with Idzik, adding that he likes “the fact that he’s a football guy” — an apparently intentional swipe at characterizations of Idzik as little more than a salary-cap expert.

Should Idzik and the Jets decide to go with a new head coach after this season, Ryan sounded as if he would be OK with that, too.

“The league knows that I can coach,” he said. “I’m not worried about that.”